News
Peralta ready to put errors behind him
Cleveland (58-75) vs. Minnesota (67-66), 7:05 p.m. ET
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
09/03/09 6:48 PM ET
DETROIT -- Jhonny Peralta had never made three errors in a single game before Wednesday night. "Two? Yeah," Peralta said. "But three? No." Then again, Peralta had never been a regular third baseman before this season. The transition had its first major hiccup when Peralta booted two balls and threw away another in a loss to the Tigers. With Asdrubal Cabrera and Luis Valbuena locked in to the middle-infield positions and gelling as a double-play combo, the Indians will continue to view Peralta strictly as a third baseman. It's a move they were reluctant to make at the outset of the season, even after Peralta spent the winter playing third in the Dominican Republic. Peralta has essentially been the regular at third since late May, and he'll remain the regular as the Indians open a nine-game homestand Friday night against the Twins. Manager Eric Wedge doesn't seem to have any plans to give the hot-hitting Andy Marte time at his natural position of third base. Rather, Wedge feels it's important that both Peralta and Marte see consistent time at their new spots to get as comfortable as possible. By and large, Peralta has looked comfortable at the hot corner. But Wednesday's game was a reminder that the position's demands for quick-thinking and instincts won't always work in Peralta's favor. "At shortstop, every groundball I knew how to move," he said. "Third base is a little different. You don't have time to think." The 27-year-old Peralta made it clear earlier this season that he still believes he can be an everyday shortstop in the big leagues. But at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, it was clear Peralta would have to make a move from that spot eventually. It happened this season because Cabrera forced the issue with his strong play. "I feel a little strange," Peralta said of being at third. "But I know I can be a good third baseman." He has proved that, at times. Even in the three-error game, he made two exceptional plays, including a diving stop of a ball down the line that would have gone for extra bases. And a day after the three-error night -- the first such showing by a Tribe defender since Aaron Boone had three errors against the Yankees on July 5, 2006 -- Peralta was ready to put it behind him. "It was a bad day," he said. "It happens to every player." Pitching matchupCLE: LHP Jeremy Sowers (5-9, 4.88 ERA)
The left-hander ran into some bad luck in his last start, a 5-3 victory over the Orioles in Baltimore last Saturday. He gave up two runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings and had to leave the game thanks to a long rain delay that flooded the dugouts. The storms that night lasted only about 20 minutes, but they were so intense that it took 97 minutes to clean up and restart the game, and that was too long for Sowers to wait. He has pitched much better in the past month. MIN: RHP Carl Pavano (11-10, 5.11 ERA)
Pavano will be making his first start against Cleveland since being traded to the Twins from the Indians. Pavano is coming off a solid performance in which he gave up just two runs through six innings, but received no run support as the Twins fell, 3-0, to the Rangers. He struck out seven against Texas, the most since he struck out eight against Kansas City on May 21. He's 1-0 with a 1.04 ERA lifetime against the Indians, making just one start. Tidbits
Right-hander Jeanmar Gomez has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year. Gomez went 10-4 with a 3.38 ERA in 21 starts this season at Double-A Akron and threw a perfect game in May. ... On Wednesday, the Indians became the third team this season to log five errors in one game, joining the Mets and Giants. ... If you're attending Saturday's game against the Twins, be sure to visit the Indians Wives Association's "Shirts off the Players' Backs" silent auction, which will be taking place at Section 153 of Progressive Field. The auction, which will conclude at the top of the seventh inning, will feature game-worn jerseys from Indians players such as Grady Sizemore, Peralta, Shin-Soo Choo, Cabrera and Travis Hafner. More than a dozen game-worn and autographed jerseys will be available, and proceeds benefit the Domestic Violence Center. ... For more info and analysis, visit the CastroTurf blog at castrovince.mlblogs.com. Tickets
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• Saturday: Indians (Justin Masterson, 4-6, 4.57) vs. Twins (Scott Baker, 12-7, 4.44), 4:10 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Indians (David Huff, 8-7, 6.57) vs. Twins (Nick Blackburn, 9-9, 4.16), 1:05 p.m. ET
• Monday: Indians (Carlos Carrasco, 0-1, 18.00) vs. Rangers (Brandon McCarthy, 6-2, 4.61), 6:05 p.m. ET
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
